The rapper is back on stage, hosting listening parties for his highly-awaited album Donda, sporting eccentric outfits

and face-covering masks.

The conversation around Kanye West and his highly anticipated new album Donda has reached a fever pitch.

Originally slated for a release last year, the album is still in production and is yet to see a release date. Featuring

collaborations with several artists, including Post Malone, Travis Scott, Lil Yatchy, and Playboi Carti, Ye is teasing

his fans with a glimpse of what they can expect through his listening parties.

The singer has made the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta his home, where production is currently underway. This

has also been the venue for West’s listening parties thus far. The first one was held on July 22 and had over 40,000

fans in attendance. Kanye wore a top-to-toe red monotone ’fit featuring the Yeezy Gap red puffer (the colourway was

released online that night and sold out within no time) and Adidas Yeezy 1020 boots. The ensemble was inspired by

a character from one of his favourite Japanese films, Akira.

From GAP to Balenciaga, what was common across his outfits – and a nod to the old Yeezus-era Kanye – were the ski masks. The singer and his obsession with going incognito with face-veiling impractical masks is well-known, both on-stage and off. When it comes to style, Ye has always been ahead of his time, breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries of what is accepted. With a flair for theatrics, the ‘Stronger’ rapper made face masks popular way before the pandemic made it a necessity.

The singer’s performance at the Atlantic City’s Revel Resort in 2012 saw him claim the stage in a signature Swarovski crystal bedecked head mask by Maison Margiela that was unveiled in their A/W 2012 collection. This marked the beginning of Ye’s obsession with ornate masks and his association with the French fashion house.

At the same show, Kanye took to the stage in an unforgettable Chewbacca-like white feathered Balenciaga mask that complemented the snowy winter wonderland theme.

Maison Margiela custom-designed Ye’s costumes for the Yeezus tour in 2013-2014 that comprised of several elaborate masks. The gold mask embellished with stones, pearls, and metal hardware worn by the singer in San Antonio remains one of his most iconic looks.

Kanye donned a reflective mirrored Margiela mask worn with an embroidered robe at the New Orleans concert in 2013.

The French house created a sparkling black gem-encrusted veil for Ye to complement his amped-up jewellery.

6. The Whole Lotta Red mask

The custom striking red mask is a standout piece. Also part of the Yeezus tour, it is a reinterpreted version of Margiela’s runway mesh masks. This one is embroidered with pearls, sequins, and metallic accents for breathtaking visual and tactile texture.

Dressed in head-to-toe tailor-made Margiela, Kanye accessorised his anti-fit look with a silver mask at the Sydney leg of the Yeezus tour in 2014. He wore a similar one for his performance in London paired with a complete tie-dye denim look.

Ye visited Japan with his family in late 2019 and was spotted around town in an eerie Walter Van Beirendonck skull motif balaclava.